Real and Portugal clash over Ronaldo injury

MADRID - A row has broken out between Real Madrid and the Portuguese Football Federation over whether injured forward Cristiano Ronaldo should be called up for the two-legged World Cup playoff against Bosnia.

The first leg is in Lisbon on November 14 and the second in Zenica four days later and federation chief Gilberto Madail said on Thursday that Ronaldo wanted to play and would be joining up with the squad.

Real have said he needs two more weeks of treatment on his ankle and director general Jorge Valdano said on Friday the club's world record signing would not be going.

"The doctors and common sense prevent Cristiano Ronaldo being called up by Portugal," he said on Spanish radio.

Ronaldo was injured in a Champions League match against Olympique Marseille on September 30 and has not played since aggravating the problem in Portugal's 3-0 win over Hungary 10 days later.

He was due to return to action around now but Real said on Thursday tests conducted by a specialist in Amsterdam who treated the same ankle last year had confirmed the diagnosis of the club's medical staff.

Ronaldo said on his return from the Netherlands on Thursday that the ankle was getting better and that he hoped to be fit for the Bosnia playoff.

"We have to wait and see and take things a step at a time but it seems to be improving," he was quoted as saying in Friday's edition of sports daily Marca.